If shopping is your passion, visit Robson Street. This three-block shopping hub offers high-end retailers, eclectic boutiques, local artwork, indigenous crafts and a variety of dining and drinking establishments. Granville Island on False Creek is home to the city's largest public market, where you can buy everything from baked goods, local produce, artisanal honey and cheeses to artwork, hand-crafted toys and jewelry. You can catch a theatrical performance, listen to live music or watch your kids play in the waterpark or Adventure Zone.
The Museum of Vancouver contains a variety of permanent exhibitions related to the region's history. The "Boom, Bust and War" exhibit details the run-up to World War II. "You Say You Want a Revolution" features music, photos and artifacts from the city's social movements of the 1960s. Collections include Vancouver History, featuring neon signage, clothing and stained glass and Vancouver Archaeology, which features artifacts from the Marpole Midden, a settlement dating to 3,500 B.C.. There is also the Pacific Norwest Coast First Nations exhibit, featuring artifacts from indigenous local populations.
The Vancouver Art Gallery holds more than 10,000 works of art. Collections include both historical and contemporary art. Well-known Canadian artists represented in the museum include Emily Carr, Ian Wallace, Stan Douglas and Roy Arden. The museum also operates an outdoor exhibition space. Past exhibits include the photography of O. Zhang, the sculpture of Ken Lum and the architectural creations of Heather and Ivan Morison.
No trip to Vancouver would be complete without time spent in the outdoors. Vancouver is rightfully famous for its scenic beauty and downtown's Stanley Park offers the venue to explore the city's natural attractions. This 1,000-acre park juts into Vancouver Harbor and offers miles of oceanfront walking, jogging and biking trails, several swimming beaches, swimming pools and children's playgrounds. Sports enthusiasts can play a game of tennis, cricket, lawn bowling, miniature golf or Frisbee. Keep your eyes open for wildlife; the park's more than 150,000 trees provide habitat for raccoons, squirrels, coyotes, eagles and herons. Stroll through the Ted and Mary Grieg Rhododendron Garden, the Shakespeare Garden or the rose and perennial beds.
